Laurie's Desperation
by J. Watson
Summary: Why were the events of Halloween 4, 5, and 6 ignored? Find out here in the first chapter. Did Laurie survive her last encounter with Michael Myers? Read the second chapter to find out.
1. Laurie's Desperation

Running away is supposed to be easy. Yet, not too many people do it. They would rather stay in their private traps and suffer. Laurie Strode had enough of being ensnared. She had survived two encounters against a crazed maniac—her brother—and there was no more room for the pain.

* * *

"I'm getting back with my girlfriend, Laurie," said Buddy. He was too ashamed to look at her.

Laurie remained standing. The usual pain in her right leg seemed to not bother her so much. It was if Buddy's words were far more painful to her.

"So, that's it?" asked Laurie, "You're just going to leave then?"

"It's not like that…I…There's nothing left for me in Haddonfield," said Buddy.

_There is me_, thought Laurie, _why would you leave me behind?_ But Laurie stayed silent. Instead, she grabbed her coat, and walked out of Buddy's front door.

"Laurie…please," said Buddy, following her to the door. "Wait."

He sounded heartfelt to Laurie. But he stayed at the door and didn't chase her. _That's only in the movies_, thought Laurie, as she climbed into her car. Haddonfield was not the land of dreams. It was a town once renowned for its crops. But the town birthed something all right. _Something so evil…and it had to be family_. That's what Laurie believed, as she traveled down Baker Road. As the rain started again, Laurie wondered why she herself did not break. The night that she spent with Buddy was just that…a night. It wasn't meant to be anything more. He was probably thinking about his girlfriend, as he undressed and climbed on top of Laurie. She shuddered that night, as it was the first real emotion that Laurie felt since the murders. _It was all a lie_. Laurie finally felt the tears streaming down her eyes, but they vanished into thin air.

Laurie had to get away from Haddonfield. She didn't know where she was going. She just kept driving as if the road was endless. When she regained her senses, Laurie looked in front of her, and saw a shadowy figure on the road. Laurie tensed instinctively, feeling her knuckles going white. But as her car lights shone on the figure, Laurie saw that it was a young girl hitchhiking. Laurie stopped beside her.

The girl looked to be college-aged, and her light-brown hair was blackened by the rain. "Can you give me a lift to a gas station?"

"Oh…" Laurie looked around, and saw the road sign.

"It looks like the nearest one is about twenty miles east," said Laurie. "I don't know this area."

The girl bit her bottom lip in fear and frustration.

"Climb in. I'll drive you over there." said Laurie.

"You'd do that for me?" asked the girl.

Laurie nodded her reply.

"Thanks so much," said the girl.

"You're welcome," said Laurie, "I know how scary these roads can be."

She made a left turn, and proceeded towards the gas station.

"You bet," said the girl, "I don't know what I would've done if you hadn't shown up."

"Yeah…it can be pretty dangerous," said Laurie. The images of Annie and Lynda flashed through her mind. Laurie had to recover herself.

"So…why were you in the middle of the road?" asked Laurie.

"Lester…my boyfriend…dropped me off," said the girl.

"Did _Lester_ expect you to catch the bus?" asked Laurie.

"No…we had another one of our fights," said the girl. "I didn't want to deal with him anymore, so I told him to let me out. I'm going to call my roommate to pick me up."

"You sure you don't need me to drive you all the way…to wherever you're going?" asked Laurie.

"Oh no…my roommate will want to hit a bar," said the girl. "She'll have gotten out of work."

"Well, that's good," said Laurie. "I wish I was old enough to drink…legally."

"It is much better when you're still in high school," said the girl. "You get older and suddenly it's no longer such a _bad_ thing."

Laurie laughed.

"You're giving me a ride, and I haven't even asked your name yet," said the girl.

"It's Laurie."

"Nice to meet you, Laurie. I'm Jamie."

There was a pause after the introductions.

"Laurie, do you mind if I smoke?" asked Jamie.

"No, not at all," said Laurie. "I'm going to go a little slower. The storm's picking up."

"It does look like—"

One moment, Laurie could see Jamie next to her smoking. And then, the tree branch fell on the windshield. And then Laurie plowed into a tree. It felt like a lifetime, but it was probably a mere few seconds.

It was just like the hospital. Her head was spinning just like when Michael was chasing her down the halls. Laurie felt like she was there again. She scrambled out of the car. It was lighting on fire from Jamie's cigarette.

Laurie crawled up the bank, the mud sticking to her body and clothes as she struggled to get up to the road. By the time she reached the road, the car exploded.

_Is he behind me?_ She fell unconscious on the road. The car eventually burned out behind her. Laurie looked up and couldn't believe her eyes. A little girl in a clown costume was standing in front of her. Even though the girl couldn't have been older then seven, she had eyes that looked wise and ancient.

"Follow me," said the little girl, as she raised her small hand to Laurie.

Laurie balanced on her left leg until both legs were functional. She held the kid's hand, and walked down the road. They walked until they reached the gas station.

"You'll be safe here," said the little girl.

"Who…who are you?" asked Laurie.

"Jamie Lloyd," said the girl, in the tiniest of voices. "I have to go now."

_Did the little girl say Jamie Lester? No, I think it was Jamie Lloyd. _

Laurie turned when she heard a bell ringing. It was coming from the gas station store. The gas station attendant poked his head out at a customer. Laurie turned back to look at Jamie Lloyd, but the little girl was gone. Then, Laurie remembered the accident.

_Oh my god_, thought Laurie, _Jamie's dead…in the car_.

She tried to shake off the little girl's image when Laurie realized that her purse was left in the car.

"Hey Billy…come in for a moment…you've got to see this," said the gas station attendant to a guy pumping gas.

"Hold on, let me finish this up," said Billy. He hooked the pump back on, and went into the store.

Laurie noticed that the guy left the keys in his car. It began to dawn on her. _They're going to think I'm dead in that car. The girl…the purse. _Laurie looked at the ajar car door. It was beckoning for her. And then, she saw Jamie Lloyd in the passenger seat.

As Laurie drove down the highway in the stolen car, she thought of names that she could use. She was saying them out loud, and Jamie Lloyd would disparage them.

"What about…Keri Tate?" asked Laurie.

"It sounds pretty," said Jamie Lloyd. The little girl tried to look over the passenger window, but she was too short. "Where are going to next?"

Wherever Laurie went as Keri Tate, Jamie Lloyd would follow as well. After awhile, she seemed almost real to Laurie. She thought of the delusion as her daughter. In her mind, whenever Laurie feared that Michael was going to get her, she would send Jamie Lloyd instead. She felt that Jamie Lloyd would have a better chance at being unharmed. Who would want to harm such a pretty, innocent girl?

_He did it to them_, thought Laurie.

As Laurie grew accustomed to her new life as a wife, teacher and mother, Jamie Lloyd had also changed. In Laurie's imaginations, Jamie Lloyd reached adulthood and was finally murdered by Michael Myers. A final sacrifice to a terrible past, closure some would say.

And then…Michael Myers came back for Laurie. This time it was real. It wasn't a trial like Laurie's constant imaginations. He also came for Laurie's son, John. As she fought for her life, Laurie looked around for Jamie Lloyd. _If you come back, he will go away. He won't want to harm you if you stay a little girl._ When Laurie decapitated Michael Myers—or who she thought was her brother—she looked in the distance and saw Jamie Lloyd in her clown costume. That night, no matter how sadly things would eventually turn out, Laurie and her creation were free.


	2. Thorn in Her Side

It would be a lie to say that the delusions started again when Laurie entered the Grace Anderson Sanitarium.

They appeared whenever Laurie felt unsafe. When the façade of being Keri Tate was threatened, and the truth dared to leak out. For the longest time, she couldn't let go of her most dependable invention: Jamie Lloyd. She imagined Jamie surrounded by loved ones that would fall victim to Michael's murderous hands. But each time, sweet little Jamie was spared.

Jamie was finally sacrificed—after Laurie finally summoned the courage to visit a therapist (albeit with her secret identity intact). A nice cocktail of heavy pills made Jamie obsolete, so Laurie gave her an elaborate death. Laurie still had to wait for the medication to take full effect, so there was that whole affair with Tommy Doyle, Kara Strode, Stephen and the cult.

Kara Strode and her son Danny didn't exist. In fact, after the Haddonfield Memorial Hospital massacre, her adoptive parents Morgan and Pamela Strode wanted to move back to New York—with the rest of the Strode clan. No Strode in their right mind would've returned to Haddonfield. If Morgan and Pamela were still alive, she was sure that they were on the East Coast again.

Tommy Doyle. The young boy had become an adult searching for the truth, and had a quasi-romance with Kara Strode. The problem with that is that Tommy was killed in action during the Gulf War. Laurie knew this from a documentary.

When Laurie felt cured, she laughed at her ludicrous storylines. But things were different now. Before, Laurie would _choose _to fall back on her imaginary world. Ever since she was committed, they were pushing forward in her mind—longing to take shape and form. The craziest thing about it…they weren't sounding that ludicrous to Laurie anymore.

* * *

"What should I call you now…Keri Tate…Laurie Strode…Cynthia Myers?"

"Call me Laurie. Always call me Laurie," responded Laurie, "Cynthia Myers doesn't exist anymore."

"I think I'll call you Cynthia…as punishment…for you pretending that I 'don't exist anymore,'" said Jamie Lloyd.

"That's because you don't. So just leave me the fuck alone," said Laurie.

An orderly peeked into Laurie's room. He lingered for a while before continuing down the hall.

"If you keep having those outbursts, they're going to know that you're faking the catatonia," said Jamie. She was leaning against the window in Laurie's room. The sunlight reflected off of the bells that decorated her Halloween costume.

"Then, shut up and never come back," whispered Laurie to herself.

"No…you still owe me. You let Michael kill me," said Jamie. She transformed into her young adult self, and gestured at her bloody chest and stomach.

"It didn't happen…none of it happened…you can't murder a thought," said Laurie.

"Really? You can spend all your time on that rooftop…waiting for him to arrive…it doesn't matter one bit. You ended up in this place for a reason, Cynthia." Jamie leaned in towards Laurie's face. Laurie pretended not to notice her presence.

"I'm the only one willing to wait with you…but if John does bother to visit…tell him I said hello. It's rare to see my younger brother these days," said Jamie, smiling mischievously.

Laurie cursed herself. Why couldn't her mind have been stronger?

* * *

Even after three years, Laurie couldn't have prepared herself for how quickly everything was moving.

The chase was on. Laurie hit Michael on the back of his head with a lamp post. She rushed towards the rooftop, knowing full well that he would follow blindly.

She had enough time to lay her hospital robe over the ledge and hide from Michael. She licked her lips in anticipation, as her mouth tasted coppery. Was this the taste of bloodlust?

Then, Laurie kicked the door forward. "Hello Michael." A sinister grin spread across her face. The excitement almost overwhelmed Laurie as she picked up the switch that lifted the rope underneath Michael's foot.

She threw away the switch with annoyance. She hungered for the kill.

"I knew you'd come for me sooner or later. What took you so long?" asked Laurie. She tilted her head to get a better look at Michael. He looked so pathetic hanging there.

Laurie picked up the knife, and loved the heaviness of it. The handle would've been warm if somebody else had been holding it. But this was Michael. It felt colder than ice.

"You failed Michael…want to know why? Because I'm not afraid of you."

She didn't need to imagine Jamie Lloyd anymore. She didn't need to cover up the darkness and bitterness with imagined cults and mysterious men. Evil needed no explanation or reason. Evil was personified in Michael and she was going to kill it.

"But what about you? Are you afraid of me? Are you afraid to die, Michael?" asked Laurie. She didn't expect an answer of course. But she wanted some sort of validation.

It wasn't enough that he twitched stupidly upside down. First, she was going to cut the rope so that Michael could fall against the trees below. Then, she was going to sneak outside the unalarmed side entrance, and finish him off with the knife. How could he fight back—not with his broken limbs from the fall?

As Laurie proceeded to cut the rope, Michael grabbed the sides of his mask. Laurie stopped in her tracks. The vision of the dead paramedic flashed before her eyes. _How could you not know, mom? He was begging for help! _

Before Laurie knew it, she was grabbing for the mask. "I just need to be sure."

It happened so fast. Being grabbed by Michael, and stabbed in her abdomen.

"I'll see you in hell," Laurie uttered to Michael. It was hard for her to breathe, as the knife felt cold against her lung. He withdrew the knife, and tossed her into the night.

As her body floated in the air, Laurie could only think of her son, John. When he last visited her at the institution, there was such sadness in his eyes. He told her that he was transferring to a college in California. For a better curriculum, he said. History was repeating itself again. Just like his father Jimmy, John was leaving her behind. And it was because Michael Myers entered her life. She didn't even feel the impact of her body clashing with the trees below.

Despite all of her careful preparation, she still lost and Michael won.

* * *

Even though Laurie's eyes were closed, she could see the lights and shadows dancing through her eyelids.

"Laurie…"

"Keri….."

"OPEN YOUR EYES, CYNTHIA," yelled a little girl's voice.

Laurie opened her eyes, only to be faced by Jamie. But this time, there appeared to be others.

"Do you know how much you failed me?" Her face seesawed from a little girl to a young woman. "All you had to do was kill him."

Everything seemed blurry to Laurie. From far, human faces swerved at blinding speed. Then, when they spoke to Laurie, their lips moved slower than molasses.

"No, she's just like him. Killing Michael would've had serious consequences," said Dr. Sam Loomis. Laurie was surprised to see him. She assumed that he was dead after all these years. He barely survived the explosion at the hospital all those years back.

"Nobody's talking to you, Loomis," said Tommy Doyle. "I shouldn't have expected anything more from you, Laurie. You were barely capable of babysitting me. How could you stop Michael Myers?"

"Because she's the true inheritor of the Curse of Thorn," said the Man in Black.

What delusion wouldn't be complete without the mysterious figure? Michael wasn't enough, so Laurie needed the Man in Black. The man directing and shaping the evil within her brother.

"Well, I suppose we can get rid of Stephen now," said Kara Strode, holding a crying Stephen. "The little brat has been trying to suckle me." Kara took Stephen in her hands and dropped him carelessly on the floor.

"Oh my god!" screamed Laurie. Just because they were her invention didn't mean that Laurie couldn't be surprised.

The baby's screams turned into high-pitched wailing. Laurie turned her eye towards the writhing infant. She jumped when Stephen hissed at her. Then, he crawled away into the darkness like an iguana.

"Good riddance," said Tommy. "It's about time a true successor takes over."

"Don't believe him!" screamed Dr. Loomis. "The Curse of Thorn doesn't exist. You used it as a coping mechanism!"

No doubt Dr. Loomis was her super-ego. Even in this state, her mind was still fighting for moralization and rationality.

"Coping mechanism? How can you say I don't exist? Don't you love me…mom?" asked Jamie.

It was such an honest question. Deep down inside, Laurie knew that Jamie was just a figment of her imagination. The trauma of surviving Michael Myers's twice took its toll on her mentally and emotionally.

But why shouldn't Laurie embrace Jamie—even if it was all a lie? Her own son, John, abandoned her. Even though Laurie saved John and his girlfriend at the time, it still wasn't enough for him to stay. He didn't appreciate anything that she did. He didn't appreciate that she fled far away and changed her identity. He didn't appreciate that he could've lost his life at Michael's hands.

"Laurie, please, don't believe anything that she says. You know what's right. Let go and be at peace," said Dr. Loomis.

Jamie Lloyd stood in her clown costume. "You always had to ruin the fun…with your psycho-babbling…and your asinine attitude…and your misguided attempts to play the hero." Dr. Loomis moaned in agony as Jamie began stabbing him.

"What else do you expect from a shrink?" chimed in Danny Strode. Jamie and Danny laughed maniacally with each knife plunge. Their mirth sounded like swine being butchered.

Laurie couldn't stand the carnage. "Stop it, Jamie. Stop doing that to him!"

"What do you mean?" replied Jamie. "You're the one holding the knife."

Laurie looked down at her right hand. It was indeed holding a knife. She was now standing up, and looking down at a lifeless Dr. Loomis.

"You lost your tattoo," said the Man in Black. "You need to have it again. To fulfill your duty. Use the knife."

With compliance, Laurie pressed the knife against her wrist. She started with the line, then the triangle that connected to it.

The workmanship was jagged, but Laurie didn't mind. She studied her handiwork. It all made sense to her. Evil was a family trait. Michael wasn't the embodiment. He was just the first to act on it.

Laurie felt the power surge through her. There was no need for words anymore. It was time for a little sibling rivalry.

* * *

As the paramedics carefully placed Laurie onto the stretcher, her index finger twitched.


	3. Sibling Rivalry

Had they known Lindsey Wallace's connection to Michael Myers, they probably wouldn't have allowed her to do the autopsy.

She had been waiting all of these years. When she heard that college kids were staying overnight at the old Myers house, she knew something was going to happen. And it did. Thankfully, there had been so much of a turnover that none of the old staff remained. Nobody knew anything about anyone, and Lindsey used it to her advantage.

Lindsey was now looking at Michael Myers' body. _It's time now. You've been hoping for this opportunity to kill the boogeyman. Take it before…_

Michael's eyes slowly opened. A cold wave of panic and fear spread over her entire spine. At that moment, for all of her longing and preparation, Lindsey couldn't move an inch.

"What the hell do you mean my mother is gone?" asked John Tate, as he was rushing to the hospital. "She was in a coma. It's not like she'd check herself out! Stop telling me that you're doing everything you possibly can. If you weren't such incompetent shits, this wouldn't have happened."

John didn't know what to do. His drive to the hospital that Laurie was kept was probably futile. It was like a bad nightmare. He spent how long standing over her body in the hopes that she would emerge from her coma. Every visit was like a stab to his heart. It reminded him how much he failed as a son to have let his mother wallow in a psychiatric ward. He left her unprotected from his uncle Michael.

Did John actually care? His actions certainly didn't show it. John gripped the wheel in shame as he thought of his mother. No matter how you break it down, the truth was that John wanted to forget everything that happened at the school. He wanted to forget being related to Michael Myers, and leaving his mother behind was the key.

_This is what you wanted, wasn't it, John? You wanted normalcy, and now you're paying the price for what you've done. _

He didn't know what to expect when he'd get to the hospital. _Face it, John. It's time to pay for the sins of the mother._

* * *

Before Lindsey could react with the bone saw, she was knocked back. As she massaged her temples in pain, she looked up to see an unmistakable face: it belonged to Laurie Strode.

It had been over a decade since she last saw Laurie. The years changed her drastically, as her hair looked stringy and greasy. When she looked directly in Laurie's eyes, there was an emptiness that was so different from the spunky teenager that used to babysit Lindsey and Tommy. Lindsey froze in place in the hopes that she would blend into the background.

Laurie kept staring at Lindsey as Michael sprung up into a seated position. Laurie grabbed him by the torso, and dragged him off the gurney. Her attempts to get Michael into a headlock were useless. Michael broke from Laurie's grip, and hurled out of a window. Lindsey screamed in shock. She could hear the impact of Laurie's body landing on the dirt road outside.

For a moment, Michael turned his attention towards Lindsey. She could see the internal conflict in him. Should he kill Lindsey or go for Laurie? Lindsey knew the decision when Michael grabbed a butcher-like knife from the counter, and proceeded towards the broken window. When he was out of sight, Lindsey didn't waste any time to escape the morgue.

By the time Michael was outside, Laurie was stumbling onto her feet. Bloody gravel was falling off of her face and arms. Her hair exposed a piece of scalp that was torn from the impact.

She pulled up her sleeve, and revealed to Michael her Curse of Thorn tattoo. He tilted his head in what could have been interpreted as bewilderment. Laurie took advantage of the distraction.

She stabbed Michael in the neck with a scalpel she stole from Lindsey's tray.

In a rage, Michael beat his sister's temples with his fists. As he reached for his knife, she caught his arm in mid-air. With her other hand, Laurie bear-clawed Michael's face until his mask slipped over her fingers. He stumbled back, grabbing his face with his right hand. When he moved his hand, Laurie could see a scars around his eyes—no doubt from the coat hanger stab and the bullets.

Laurie used all of her strength to knock Michael back into the morgue. His body slide across the linoleum floor. The sides of her head were bruised, but she continued towards Michael. She picked up the dropped the knife that he'd been using, and began carving Michael's face with mechanical precision. His nose and lips dropped to the ground, as Laurie proceeded to slit his throat.

But she instinctively knew that this would not be enough. Laurie grabbed Michael by the throat, and kept her grip even as his blood cascading through her fingers and down her arm. She pin him against the wall, and shoved the knife straight through his chest. Michael twitched uncontrollably, as his left boot slipped off of his foot. Laurie sliced Michael's throat with the scalpel. Then, she grabbed the rip spreader and used it to separate his head fro his body. Laurie was so thorough that she didn't notice Michael's head tumble to the ground at first.

Laurie's head tilted to the side as she watched Michael's decapitated body quiver than come to a sudden stop.

* * *

Laurie scrapped the butcher knife against the oxygen tank. _Kill John_ echoed in her mind.

She deliberated. Then, the specter of Jamie Lloyd appeared before her in the clown costume. Jamie Lloyd transformed into an adult woman. She was cradling Dr. Loomis's head in her arms like a baby. A sinister gleam was in her eyes. Laurie studied the scene for a moment.

Then, she turned and walked out of the broken window again. Nothing was going to stop Laurie from fulfilling what the Thorn asked. She killed Michael. No one stood in her way. But she needed to heal her body. What better place to do it than the Myers' old residence?

As she began her trek, Laurie was wearing the clothing she tore off of Michael. She was also wearing the tattered mask.


End file.
